Safety device.



F. HYMANS.

SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. I914. 1,225,962. Patented May15,1917.

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YIVIANS.

SAFETY DEVICE,

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 20, I914.

Patented May 15, 1917.

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I 7/ 1 N a x 4, 5 4 P "1 j WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/VTOR BY 'af/ 6a 4 t A WORMiUNllTED dTATEd PATENT @FFTQE.

FREDERICK I-IYMANS, OF GLEN RIDGE, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 OTIS ELEVATORCOMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A1 CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed October 20, 1914. Serial No. 867,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HYMANS, a citizen of the Netherlands,residing in Glen Ridge, in the county of Essex and Stateof New Jerseyhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for elevators and moreparticularly to that type of safety device or brake in which grippingjaws carried by the car or counterweight or both are adapted to gripstationary vertical guide rails or their equivalent in the hatchway.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide electro-mechanicalapparatus of an improved type whereby the gripping jaws may be appliedeither automatically by means of an electrical governor or manually bymeans of a switch in the car, said apparatus furthermore being arrangedto release the gripping jaws and maintain the same in an inoperativeposition.

Another feature of the invention resides in the means for controllingthe electromechanical apparatus.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelcombinations of elements and arrangement of parts being set forth in theappended claims.

Referring'to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically anv elevator car with my inventionapplied thereto, together with governor mechanism; and a system ofelectrical circuits; Fig. 2, shows partly in section, a plan view of thesafety plank shown in elevation in Fig. 1, together with my improvedelectro-mechanical apparatus and a system of electrical cir cuitstherefor.

In Fig. 1 is shown an elevator car C, beneath the floor of which issuitably mounted my improved safety device P. Clamps pivoted at 1, 1,and comprising clamping jaws, 2, 2, and 3, 3, are adapted to engage thestationary guides or T-rails, at, 4, and thus effect a stopping of thecar. A coil spring 5 is adapted to actuate both sets of gripping jaws toengagethe guide rails through the connections comprising a lever 6pivoted at 7, and additional link connections 8, 8. Now in the way ofcontrolling the application of the gripping jaws. as well as effectingthe release of the same from the guide rails, I have providedelectro-mechanical apparatus of an improved construction which isdesignated by the reference letter A. This device in its entirety iscarried by the safety plank and secured thereto in a suitable manner. Mwhich is connected through the intermediary of connection B with thelever 6. The connections B. comprise a worm wheel 9, arranged loose on ashaft 10, and'provided with projecting pins 9, arranged to engage a tripdevice or stop pin 11. The pin 11 is held out the path of movement ofthe pins 91, by means of a spring 12, and is operated intoposition to beengaged by the said pins by means of an electromagnet 13, through theintermediary of the pivoted lever 14. A worm shaft 15, carrying a worm15 is arranged to be moved axially from the normal position as shown, tothe left. This result may be accomplished in numerous different ways, ofwhich one consists in provide ing the shaft 15 with a square shank 16 onits right end, which shank fits a hub 17 of a spur gear 18. Anadditional spur gear 19,

forms a driving connection between the pilot motor and the gear 18. Thegear 18 is rotatably mounted in a suitable standard such as 19, and theshaft 15, at its left end is suitably supported by a standard 20. Itwill now be seen that this arrangement permits imparting to the wormshaft a rotary motion and simultaneously an axial motion in thedirection of the arrow. The lever 6 is operatively connected with theworm shaft 15 by means of a connection such as 21.

Around the sheave 22 of a governor G, passes an endless rope 23, whichis held taut by means of a weighted sheave 24 at the bottom of the well.The governor rope is positively connected at 25 to the elevator carmatically by means of an arm 6 on the lever 6. A main line switch isdesignated by the reference letter H, and a source of current supply isdesignated and A safety knife switch E is providedin the car for manualoperation, and when oper- This device comprises a pilot motor ated toopen position as illustrated in the drawing, effects the application ofthe gripping jaws to the guide rails. The partsas illustrated in thedrawings are in relatlve positions attained with the gripping jaws inengagement with the guide rails, such and winding of the electromagnet13 with the supply circuit. The circuit for the pilot motor is asfollows: from the conductor, through the governor switch contacts 26,26, conductor 29, through safety switch E, conductor 30, through switchD, conductor 31, to pilot motor, and from thence to the line, by way ofconductor 32. The circuit for the winding of the electroinagnet is byway of the governor switch contacts and the safety switch, and from thejunction 30 is connected in a. parallel circuit with the pilot motor.The pilot motor now receiving current will effect a rotation of the wormshaft 15 in a clockwise direction, we will say for example, looking fromthe right on the drawing. The worm wheel 9 being free to turn will thusbe rotated in a counter-clockwise direction asindicated by the arrow,until one of the pins 9 comes into engagement with the stop pin 11,which has been actuated into engaging position by means of theelectromagnet 13. The worm wheel 9 being held fixed against rotation bythe pin llfresults in a movement of the worm shaft and worm axially inthe direction of the arrow, thereby actuating the lever 6 to efiect thereleasing of the gripping jaws from the guide rails. Now when the jawsare fully released, the arm 6' on the lever 6 opens the switch l), thuscutting off the current supply to the pilot motor, which will now cometo rest. It will be noted that the electromagnet still receives currentand thus maintains the pin in engaging position to hold the shaft 15against return movement by 7 the action of the spring 5, thusmaintaining the gripping jaws in their releasing posi tion, until thecircuit for the winding of the electromagnet 13 is opened either bymeans of the governor or the safety switch E. Now in case the speed ofthe elevator car exceeds a predetermined limit, the governor G actuatesthe switch S and separates the contacts 26, thus opening the circuit forthe winding of the electromagnet 13. The

electromagnet 13 now being denergized permits the spring to actuate thepin 11 out of engaging position, relatively with the pin 9. The spring 5now forces the gripping-jaws into engagement with the guide rails thuseffecting a stopping of the car.

it will be noted that a quick initial applica tion of the gripping jawsis efiected, since the only resistance ofiered to the spring 5 is thatof returning the worm 15 from its extreme left hand position to itsposition as shown in the drawing. The switch S is locked in an openposition by meansof the latch 27, thus the releasing of the grippingjaws is prevented, until the latch is released manually. 7

It will now be seen that with my improved arrangement the application ofthe gripaing jaws will be effected either automatically in case ofexcess car speed, or may be controlled manually from the elevator car.

Tt'will be noted that the present safety device difiers from otherelectrically conrolled safety devices, in that the same is not put inoperation every time the elevator car is stopped at the differentfloors, but is heldinreleased position and put in operation'eitherautomatically in case of excessive speed or manually by means of thesafety switch in the car. Furthermore the safety device is put inoperation at least twice daily irrespective of the above notedinstances, such operations thereof being effected at the close ofelevator service at night, by opening the main line switch, and alsoagain in the morning when the elevator is put in service by closing themain line switch. This operation of the safety device twice daily, keepsthe movable parts ingood working order, and guards against such partsbecoming inoperative by being rusted, etc.

Although I show my invention applied to a direct current system, thesame is equally applicable for alternating current systems. l urthermoreI wish not to be limited to the precise details of construction andarrangement of parts as herein shown and described, since variousmodifications may obviously be made bythose skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit'and scope of my in vention. V

lfhat I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is l. in an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, aspring operated car brake, an electrical switch actuating speedgovernor, electro mechanical apparatus controlled thereby forcontrolling the application of the brake, and means for maintaining thesaid electrical switch in open position when the car speed is excessive.

2. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, a car brake,means for applying the brake, electro-mechanical apparatus operativelyassociated with the car brake, a governor, and means comprising a switchand circuits controlled thereby for effecting the application of thebrake by the aforesaid 'means. and for effecting the release thereof bymeans of the electro-mechanical apparatus. V

3. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, a car brakecomprising brake members carried by the car and cooperating guide rails,a spring for applying the brake, electro-mechanical apparatus forreleasing the brake members and maintaining the same in releasedposition, a speed governor, and means comprising an electric switch anda system of electrical circuits for eflecting the application of thebrake members by means of the spring'when the car speed is excessive.

i. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, car brake, aspring for applying the brake, and means comprising a rotary electricmotor and mechanical connections for effecting the release of the brake.

5. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, a car brakecomprising members carried by the car and cooperating guide rails, meansfor applying the brake, and means for releasing the brake memberscarried by the car, the said means comprising a rotary electric motorand power transmitting connections between the said motor and the brakemembers carried by the car.

6. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, a guide rail, adevice carried by the car adapted to grip the rail, a spring arranged tocause the said device to grip the rail, and means for releasing thegripping device, the said means comprising a rotary electric motor andpower transmitting con nections between the motor and the grippingdevice, said connections being arranged to permit the application of thegripping jaws by the spring without transmitting motion to the saidrotary motor.

7. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, a car brake,comprising members carried by the car and cooperating guide members, aspring for applying the brake, means comprising a rotary electric motorand power transmitting connections between the motor and brake membersfor releasing the brake members, and an electrically operated tripdevice for holding the brake members inoperative.

8. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, guide rails, adevice carried by the car adapted to grip the'rails, means for operatingthe said device to grip the rails, an electrical governor, and meanscontrolled thereby for efiectingthe said operation of the grippingdevice, and electro-mechanical means for releasing and maintaining thesame inoperative.

9. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, guide rails, adevice carried by the car and adapted to grip the rails, a spring foroperating the gripping device, a governor, an electric switchoperatively associated therewith, and a rotary electric motor andconnections between the motor and gripping device, said connectionsbeing arranged to permit the operation of the gripping device by -meansof the spring and without transmitting motion to the rotary motor, andbeing arranged to efiect the release of the gripping device by means ofthe rotary motor.

10. In an elevator, the combination with an elevator car, a car brake,means for applyin the brake, a governor, an electric switch operativelyassociated therewith, means comprising a rotary electric motor and powertransmitting connections between the motor and brake for operating thebrake to an inoperative position, an electrically operated trip devicecontrolled by the said governor for holding the brake in saidinoperative position.

11. In an elevator, the combination with a car, a car brake, means foroperating the brake, means comprising a rotary electric motor andconnections between the latter and said brake for ope 'ating the latterto an inoperative position a trip device for holding the brake in saidinoperative position,

electromagnetic means for operating the trip device, and means forcontrolling the operation of the said electromagnetic means eitherautomatically by means of a switch operating governor, or manually bymeans of a switch in the car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK HYMANS.

WVitnesses:

WALTER C. STRANG, JAMES G. BETHELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

